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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29123550">Bat Wings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllWritey/pseuds/AllWritey'>AllWritey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sbi+ranboo batfam au [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Sleepy Bois Inc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>But he's trying, Gen, Hoo boy here we go, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Phil is a dad, Sleepy Bois Inc Angst, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Suicidal Thoughts, Superheroes, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), and of course it's a minecraft roleplay that fixes my writers block, basically sbi+ranboo as the batfam, batfam au, i haven't written fanfic in a hot minute, not a good one necessarily</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:35:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29123550</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllWritey/pseuds/AllWritey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a well known fact that the city of L'manberg is under the protection of Batman and his allies. It's a less well known fact that Philza Craft, local billionaire and the man behind the cowl, is also a struggling single father who has his hands full with his several crimefighting sons. </p>
<p>It's a well known fact that Tommy Innit-Craft, a street kid who was taken in by the richest man in L'manberg, died tragically in an accident overseas. It's a less well known fact that he's come back from the dead and is ready to sow chaos and get his revenge on his murderer.</p>
<p>(tl;dr: tommy got yeeted into the afterlife, but he's too much of a big man to stay dead)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo &amp; Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo &amp; Wilbur Soot, Technoblade &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit &amp; Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade &amp; Phil Watson &amp; Ranboo, Wilbur Soot &amp; Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade, Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot &amp; TommyInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sbi+ranboo batfam au [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136993</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>181</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>ok so for those of you who are also dc nerds, here's how the lads are matching up with the mess that is the wayne family:</p>
<p>philza-&gt;bruce (i feel like this is pretty self explanatory)<br/>wilbur-&gt;dick grayson<br/>techno-&gt;damian wayne (listen i know damian is technically the youngest but my au my rules, techno is the second eldest. he's also phil's only biological son)<br/>tommy-&gt;jason todd (once again i am well aware that jason is the second eldest wayne but in this au tommy is the youngest)<br/>ranboo-&gt;tim drake</p>
<p>other characters:<br/>dream-&gt;joker</p>
<p>many thanks to my lovely sister for agreeing to be my beta!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The new vigilante had all of L’manberg on edge.</p>
<p>He called himself Nightmare, and he was something of a wild card. Some speculated that he might be the newest member of the L’manberg Rogues, more commonly known as the Dream Team, due to the frowning porcelain mask he donned on the streets. He’d also dipped his hand into the local drug cartels and was making a name for himself as a crime lord. On the other hand, however, he was extremely protective of the poor, needy, and oppressed, and he had never actually been seen allying himself with the infamous green hooded criminal that terrorized the city streets. To some, he was a tyrant; to others, he was a hero.</p>
<p>Out of the entire population, though, no one was quite as perplexed as Philza Craft.</p>
<p>The blond man massaged his temples as he skimmed over the computer files once more. He had yet to run into Nightmare in person during his nightly patrols, but he'd heard plenty of stories. The newcomer was chaotic, and fond of guns and explosives. He didn't seem to have any qualms about killing lowlife criminals, but he never harmed any civilians. As Batman, Phil had a responsibility to L'manberg to protect the streets from violent threats and, from what he could tell, Nightmare was a loose cannon. If things progressed any further he would have to step in and intervene.</p>
<p>There was a gentle knock at his door. The exhausted billionaire’s head snapped to attention- it was Ranboo, looking just as nervous as he usually did.</p>
<p>“Uh, sorry to bother you, Mr. Craft,” he said, fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt. Phil smiled gently.</p>
<p>“No, not at all. And you can call me Phil. What do you need?”</p>
<p>“Well, um, I thought you'd like to know that Techno is here.”</p>
<p>“Wh- Techno?” His brow furrowed. “Did he say anything about why?” Not that his son needed a reason to visit. Ranboo rubbed the back of his neck.</p>
<p>“No. He didn't really say much of anything at all, actually. He's just eating some potato chips really angrily in the kitchen.” </p>
<p>Phil heaved a sigh. That was very in character for his second eldest. “Thanks for letting me know, Ranboo, I'll go see what he needs.” The teenager nodded, his heterochromic eyes darting over the room, and shuffled awkwardly down the hall. Phil watched him leave with a fond smile. Nearly a year had passed since Ranboo had joined the Craft household, but he still acted like a timid, polite guest. </p>
<p>Time to check on Techno.</p>
<p>The man was right where Ranboo described him to be. He was easy to recognize from his broad, muscled form and long pink hair. Techno noticed his father’s presence immediately; he acknowledged him with a glance and aggressively shoved another handful of chips into his mouth. </p>
<p>“Hey, mate, it's good to see you,” Phil said, leaning against the island counter. “What's up?”</p>
<p>“You need to get your problem out of my territory.”</p>
<p>“I don't know what you're talking about.”</p>
<p>Techno grunted. “That new guy. Nightmare.” Speak of the devil, Phil thought. “He's been showing up in my city like he owns the place.” </p>
<p>“I'm sorry to hear that, Tech, but he doesn't answer to me. I can't exactly just tell him to stop.” His son huffed, and gave him a look that said <em>‘duh’</em>. “What exactly has he been doing?”</p>
<p>“Getting involved in gang wars. Busting drug deals. Terrorizing the locals,” Techno listed, counting Nightmare’s offenses on his fingers. “And I know for a fact he's somehow been stealing from my safehouses.”</p>
<p>That was concerning. “How do you know it's him?”</p>
<p>“Security cameras. He flips ‘em off whenever he breaks in.”</p>
<p>Phil let out a startled laugh. “Why haven't you tried to catch him in the act? Hold a stakeout?”</p>
<p>“You think I haven't thought of that? Phil, I have eight safehouses scattered about the city. I can't be everywhere at once.” He pulled out one of his throwing knives and began fiddling with it (a nervous habit he'd picked up while being raised by the League of the Blood God). “He's been swiping everything from first aid supplies to microwave dinners. And I <em>know</em> it's just to piss me off.”</p>
<p>Phil worried his lip. “Well… I was planning on checking him out anyway. Would you like to join Ranboo and I tonight for patrol? We’ll seek him out and you can have a little <em>tête-à-tête.</em>"</p>
<p>A slow grin spread across Techno’s face. “Philza, that sounds like an <em>excellent</em> idea.”</p>
<p>o7o7o7o7o</p>
<p>Patrol was Phil’s favorite part of the day. He savored the thrill of leaping from one rooftop to the next, dancing in the shadows cast by streetlights, swinging from his grappling hook as if he could fly. He also loved that it gave him time to spend with his boys. He could still remember the first night each of them had put on the suit. Wilbur had grinned the whole time, enjoying the freedom and expression that was granted to him. Techno had been serious and focused, determined to impress his father. Most recently, Ranboo had followed Phil like a duckling, soaking in his every movement and doing his best to mimic them. (Later that evening, Phil had caught a glimpse of the kid writing down everything he'd learned in earnest.) And Tommy… Tommy had been bursting at the seams with energy, laughing and shouting and beaming like the sun.</p>
<p>...Phil doesn't like to think about Tommy.</p>
<p>“According to the intelligence I gathered,” Ranboo said over the comms, “Nightmare is supposed to be meeting with local gang leaders at the east docks tonight.”</p>
<p>“Good work, Robin,” Phil praised. “Blade, I know you want to charge in, but let's approach this carefully, yeah?” Techno grumbled his agreement. “Excellent. Here's the plan. As soon as Nightmare makes his appearance, Blade and I will scare off all the other gang members. Robin, I want you up top keeping an eye on Nightmare’s location. Let us know if he tries to slip away amidst the chaos.” They both nodded. “Most importantly, stay safe. I’d rather lose our target than have either of you get hurt.”</p>
<p>The trio kept watch over the gathering criminals from the top of a nearby warehouse, but they didn't have to wait for long. There he was: Nightmare strolled to the end of the dock, lazily twirling a handgun around his pointer finger. Phil signaled to Techno that it was time to move in.</p>
<p>“Gentlemen!” Nightmare crowed. “Let’s get this thing started!”</p>
<p>Phil- no, Batman- dropped down behind the crowd and growled, “Yes. Let’s.”</p>
<p>The reaction was immediate. The gang leaders and their thugs started yelling, drawing their weapons and firing at the two new threats that had appeared out of nowhere. Phil and Techno dodged them with ease. Techno kicked one of the men into a stack of wooden shipping crates, then grabbed another by the scruff of the neck and tossed him into the frigid waters of the L'manberg Bay. Phil wrenched one of the thug’s pistol from his hands and used it to knock him unconscious. They made quick work of the criminals; the mob was dispersing faster than teenagers fleeing from the cops that had been called to bust a rowdy party. </p>
<p>“Batman, Blade, Nightmare isn't even trying to escape,” Ranboo reported, his voice riddled with confusion. “He's not moving at all, actually.”</p>
<p>A quick glance at the end of the dock revealed his words to be true. The man of the hour was standing still as a statue, arms folded over his chest, observing the fighting from the sidelines. His expression was unreadable behind his eerie white mask. He was wearing a trench coat, Phil noticed, as well as a dark red turtleneck and a sturdy pair of combat boots.</p>
<p>Soon, the dock was still, all the gang members either escaped or unconscious. Phil and Techno sheathed their weapons and turned to face Nightmare, though their postures were still tense and ready for action. Nightmare tilted his head to the side.</p>
<p>“I s’pose I should have been expecting this,” he drawled. “You lot never mind your own business.”</p>
<p>“You stealing my resources is my business,” Techno challenged, taking a step forward. Phil held up a hand to tell his son to stand down. Nightmare snorted.</p>
<p>“It's not like you can't afford to replace it. You know Daddy will fork out more cash than he needs to for his favorite son,” he sneered.</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Phil asked in as level a tone as he could manage. </p>
<p>“Don't play dumb, Philza. We all know it's true.”</p>
<p>Shock jolted through Phil, Techno, and Ranboo like an electric current. Phil thought he might have stopped breathing. How could he possibly know? Luckily, Techno recovered his wits almost immediately and attempted to salvage the situation.</p>
<p>“Philza, like the brainless billionaire? That's the most absurd theory about Batman’s identity I've ever heard. That trust-fund-man-child can't figure out how to work a stapler.”</p>
<p>Okay, ouch. You staple your sleeve to a desk one time and your family will never let you forget it.</p>
<p>Techno’s logic didn't seem to appease Nightmare, though. The masked man clenched his hands into fists. “Cut the act, Techno. No one else is around, ‘cept for the latest Robin model over on that roof.” He gestured wildly in Ranboo’s direction, who shrank back at the attention. At the sound of his name, Techno’s hand flew to his knives. Phil felt nauseous.</p>
<p>“Who on earth is Techno?” he tried, but that only angered Nightmare further.</p>
<p>“Shut up!” he roared. “You can ignore me all you want, but I'm not gonna let you pretend you don't know me!” </p>
<p>Phil ran through a list in his mind of people who might know his secret identity; no one jumped out as a possibility. “I don't-”</p>
<p>“I KNOW HE TOLD YOU!” Nightmare screamed. A particularly powerful gust of wind tore across the dock, making the stranger’s trench coat flare up behind him dramatically. The movement drew Phil’s eye, and… that coat looked familiar… </p>
<p>The rant continued. “Just because you don't like me doesn't mean you forgot my whole existence! He was right about one thing; you're a bunch of wrong’uns.” </p>
<p>All the color drained from Phil's face when he placed where he recognized the coat from. He hadn't seen that coat since he had buried his baby boy.</p>
<p>Techno hadn't made the same realization as his father. “Take off the mask, idiot, and we'll see who the wrong’un is,” he bit out. Phil’s gaze was frozen on the unknown figure in front of him. His thoughts were slow, too slow to come up with an explanation for what he was seeing. Nightmare scoffed.</p>
<p>“Whatever, big man. It was getting stuffy under here, anyway.” And he left them no time to prepare themselves as he reached up with both hands and</p>
<p>lifted</p>
<p>off</p>
<p>the</p>
<p>
  <em>mask-</em>
</p>
<p>Two grey eyes that should have been blue glared at them with nothing but contempt.</p>
<p>A strangled, inhuman sound tore out of Phil’s throat. How could a face be so entirely different and yet remain wholly unchanged? He knew that nose, that chin, those ears. He'd never seen this face before but he knew it by heart. His voice broke as he croaked,</p>
<p>“Tommy?”</p>
<p>A sharp inhale could be heard over the comms. “I'm coming down there,” Ranboo said. Phil couldn't form the words to tell him no. The roar of his pulse threatened to choke him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Tommytommytommytommytommytommytommy</em>
</p>
<p>Rage rolled off of Techno in waves. “How dare you,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “How dare you disrespect my little brother.” Nightmare (Tommy?) rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh, so <em>now</em> we're brothers?” His words were bitter, cruel. “If I'd known me dying was all it would take for you to give me a second thought, I'd’ve offed myself way before Dream ever got the chance.” Techno snarled, hackles raised. He made as if to move forward and attack, but was stopped by a hand on his bicep- Ranboo. The mild mannered sidekick eyed the freshly unmasked vigilante warily. They were sailing through uncharted waters, so to speak, and it would do them no good for Techno to lose control.</p>
<p>Phil felt dizzy. “Tommy?” he repeated weakly. His eyes burned. “Are you- is this real?” Maybe-Tommy scowled.</p>
<p>“What are you playing at, old man?” </p>
<p>“You died.” It came out more like a question than the statement it was meant to be.</p>
<p>“Yeah, and it sucked. Thanks for reminding me.” Tommy’s eyes narrowed; his voice was scathing.</p>
<p>Phil could feel the phantom weight of a broken body in his arms. Nonexistent smoke burned his nostrils, and he heard the echoes of rubble crumbling around him. The memory of cradling the still-warm corpse of his precious son had been etched into his very being by the acid of grief. At this moment, all the father wanted to do was gather the boy in front of him in his arms and smell the shampoo he always insisted on using in his blond curly hair and kiss his forehead, <em>anything to erase the scars of that day that had never truly healed-</em></p>
<p>“Stay back!” a shrill voice demanded. “Come any closer and I'll shoot!” </p>
<p>He froze in his tracks. It would have been beyond strange, to an onlooker, to see the Batman rendered immobile by a panicking teenager. Phil felt as helpless as a newborn lamb.</p>
<p>“You're alive,” he breathed, and he treasured each syllable. “You're alive, Tommy, you're alive.”</p>
<p>“What, are you disappointed? Surprised that Dream didn't put me in the ground for the second time?” Despite the vitriol with which he lashed out, there was the slightest waver of uncertainty in his words. He clearly hadn’t been expecting this kind of reaction from the other.</p>
<p>“Prime, no, of course not.” Phil looked the other over from head to toe. “Look at you, Tommy… you've gotten so tall.”</p>
<p>It was true. Last he'd seen the boy before he died he still towered over him by a good foot and a half; now the young man looked down on him, instead- it looked like he was taller than Techno, even.</p>
<p>Phil was cursed to be shorter than all of his sons, it seemed.</p>
<p>“Wha- Why are you acting so weird?! Are you drunk?” Tommy demanded. Phil laughed; it sounded more like a sob.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Techno was just as suspicious as ever. “Batman, this is obviously a trap. I don't know how this scum knows about Tommy, but he can't be trusted.” At some level, Phil knew that his son was making a logical argument, but he couldn't bring himself to ignore the evidence in front of him. Nightmare looked like Tommy, talked like Tommy. He wanted so very badly for this to be real.</p>
<p>Tommy now had guns trained on both Batman and the Blade. It was strange to see how drastically his attitude had changed over the course of the encounter. Gone was the bitter confidence he greeted them with. Now he looked more like a cornered animal than anything else.</p>
<p>“Stop trying to trick me!” he shouted. “Lying and acting like you care won't get me to come crawling back to you like a trained dog!”</p>
<p>Seeing the barrel of the handgun pointed in his direction made Techno bristle. According to his body language, he was going to snap at any moment. Phil was equally off kilter, only having eyes for the son he'd thought lost forever. If it came to blows, the man would likely be of little use. Ranboo fretted internally. It would appear that deescalation would be left to him. </p>
<p>“Tommy,” the current Robin began cautiously, flinching as said person’s attention snapped to him, “if it really is you, then please listen. We had no idea that you were Nightmare. We came here tonight to try and figure out his, er, your identity.” Tommy’s eyes narrowed and Ranboo threw up his hands in a placating gesture. “Please, uh, please don't shoot anyone.”</p>
<p>“That… doesn't make sense. You <em>knew</em>, he <em>told</em> me you knew.”</p>
<p>“I don't know who ‘he’ is, mate, but he was wrong. If  I’d known you were alive I would have fought all of heaven and hell to get to you,” Phil said near desperately. “My boy. Toms.”</p>
<p>Tommy’s hands were shaking, and he pressed them against the sides of his head- concerning, considering the fact that he still had his guns in his grasp. He screwed his eyes shut as if he were in pain (maybe he was).</p>
<p>“That can't be true. My head’s gettin’ all spinny… He- he said he told you, he told you and you wouldn't come. You didn't come, stop <em>lying to me!</em>”</p>
<p>Taking advantage of his distress, Techno darted forward and pinned Tommy’s arms to his sides in a parody of a hug. The younger’s eyes flew open in a sudden bout of fury.</p>
<p>“LET ME GO!” he shrieked. “SHUT UP, SHUT <em>UP</em>, SHUT UP AND LET ME GO, <em>LET ME GO-</em>”</p>
<p>“Robin, grab his guns,” Techno instructed while containing the thrashing Nightmare. Ranboo ducked his head and gently collected the firearms. Phil also stepped forward. Now that his son was restrained, he wanted to get closer to his boy. He reached out with a gloved hand and cupped the side of his face, quickly retracting it when a frenzied Tommy snapped at his fingers with bared teeth.</p>
<p>“Toms…” he murmured sadly.</p>
<p>“We should take him back to the cave,” stated Techno. “Administer a sedative and then we can figure out exactly who we're dealing with.” Phil nodded mutely. It broke his heart to see his youngest in such a state of unbridled panic. He remembered, before the tragedy had struck, the many occasions when Tommy would wake up scared in the middle of the night and seek comfort from his family. Phil would hold him in a warm embrace, and Wilbur would strum soothing melodies on his guitar to chase away the bad memories… </p>
<p>Phil blanched. “We've got to tell Wil.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The family regroups at the Cave. A phone call is made. As everyone expected, nothing goes smoothly.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>my writers block works hard but mcyt works harder, apparently</p>
<p>no new characters this chap but if/when there are i'll include their character matchup at the beginning of the chapter in which they appear!! as a little treat, have this comparison here:</p>
<p>georgenotfound-&gt;harley quinn (don't expect him to show up too much though as he's probably gonna sleep through this entire fic)</p>
<p>once again thank you to my sister for being my beta &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“This has to be a trick,” said Techno for what had to be the four hundredth time. He and Phil had been arguing about it for almost an hour now, since they'd gotten back to the cave. Ranboo listened silently as he ran the DNA analyses. “Someone probably sent him as a plant, to gather intel and sabotage us!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We should still call Wilbur in on this! He deserves to know!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What, and get his hopes up just to reveal that it was an imposter all along? Yeah, I'm sure he'd be </span>
  <em>
    <span>super</span>
  </em>
  <span> grateful for that. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> how hard he took Tommy’s death the first time-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ranboo sighed. He hated to hear them fight, but he didn't feel it was his place to interfere. After all, he'd never known Tommy when he was alive, and he barely knew Wilbur at all. The original Robin left L’manberg not long after the death of his brother, and he'd never wanted much to do with Ranboo when Phil took him in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Even if it's a trick, he should be involved.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The whole reason he moved to Pogtopia is because he didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be involved anymore!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sooner these results came in, the better.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ranboo glanced over at where the cause of this debacle lay, unconscious and unassuming. Tommy was resting on a bed in the medbay with several machines monitoring his vitals and restraints around his wrists and ankles. (Techno had wanted to keep him in a holding cell, but Phil firmly refused.) Despite the bravado Nightmare displayed on the docks, he really was just a teenager- he looked especially young asleep. He'd only been fourteen when he died; he would be sixteen now. At this age he should be getting his drivers license and worrying about impressing his crush at school, not shooting murderers and rapists in dark alleyways. Ranboo felt a pang of sorrow for him, and for all the children who had been roped into this battle between good and evil.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(Part of him whispered that, at seventeen, he was one of those children too. He brushed the thought away.)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Techno, I know my son. If he finds out we didn't tell him, he'll be beyond mad.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Techno clenched his jaw as he stared his father down. Emotions warred in his eyes before he scoffed and turned away. “You know what? Fine. Whatever. You're always right.” He stalked away from that conversation and pointedly ignored Phil’s stammered protests. Ranboo tensed as the man he was almost ready to call his brother approached him, not wanting to bear the brunt of the pinkette's frustration, but Techno’s glare softened when he looked his way. “How're the tests coming, kid?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A nervous smile. “So far, so good. The, um. His fingerprints already came back as a match. Same blood type, too, except he seems to have an additional foreign agent in it; I don't quite know what to make of it.” Techno grunted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Interesting. Is it something temporary, like a drug?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If it is, it isn't one that shows up on any medical databases. Plus, the levels haven't been decreasing since we've been monitoring them- in fact, if anything they've been increasing over time. I think Tommy might actually be producing it, whatever it is.” Ranboo’s eyes had lit up as he expounded on the fascinating details he’d discovered. Techno fought back a smile. It was nice to see the normally anxious boy talk about things he found interesting.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah? Tell me more; what else are you thinkin’?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ranboo smiled and launched into a rambling explanation of his current observations and theories. Techno followed along, nodding and humming and doing his best to ignore the hushed sound of his father placing a phone call behind him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>o7o7o7o7o</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The first time his phone rang that night, Wilbur let it go to voicemail out of spite.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he'd seen the name ‘Philza (Derogatory)’ pop up on his screen, he'd groaned aloud and tossed his phone onto his bed. It was his first night off all week, and he didn't want to listen to whatever awkward conversation his dad wanted to strike up this time. Their talks almost always went the exact same way: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hey, mate. How’s Pogtopia? Have you been eating enough? Any new songs? We're having another family dinner this Sunday, you're always welcome.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Wil let his head fall onto his desk with a gentle thud. He loved Phil, he really did, but that didn't mean he was ready to forgive and forget. He couldn't just move on as fast as the billionaire who'd raised him apparently could.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wilbur felt Tommy’s painful absence every day. He felt it in the relentless spam that would flood his inbox because the gremlin refused to use his own email to sign up for things. He felt it in Techno’s ringtone, which Tommy had changed to Fergalicious as a prank. He felt it in the apologetic silence that followed whenever one of his friends called him ‘Wilby’ by accident. He missed his baby brother </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and it had </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span> when he'd first caught wind of the new Robin that was running around L’manberg at night. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He tried not to hold it against Ranboo. It wasn't the teenager’s fault, and he seemed like a sweet enough kid. But he couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal he got when Phil introduced him to his newest ward. It wasn't so much that his dad had taken in another son; he understood that the man had a soft heart and paternal instincts. But in Wilbur’s opinion, Robin should have ended with Tommy. How could Phil be fine with putting another child in the suit after what had happened the last time?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was jolted out of his thoughts by his phone starting to ring again. That was odd. Usually, Phil would get the hint and leave a voicemail. Whatever he wanted to say must be important. Wilbur briefly debated whether he should ignore him once more, but decided to bite the bullet. He hit accept.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, thank Prime. Wil?” He sounded stressed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I'm- I’m sorry if this is a bad time, mate, but you might want to… something’s happened.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>A spike of icy fear tore through Wilbur and left him gutted. </span><em><span>Something's happened.</span></em><span> Those were the exact words that had left his father's mouth when the news was broken to him that Tommy wouldn't be coming home. Several worst case scenarios flashed through his mind. </span><em><span>Was Techno dead now, too?</span></em> <em><span>Ranboo?</span></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Phil continued, seemingly unaware of the panic of his eldest. “Have you heard of Nightmare? A new L'manberg vigilante; Techno told us he's been making appearances in Empire City as well.” Relief. Techno was alive.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(Phil hadn't been able to say Tommy’s name for an entire month after he died.)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Vaguely? I think I heard people talking about him on the news. He uses guns, yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His dad made a noise of confirmation. “Tech, Ranboo, and I cornered him at the docks tonight to try and gauge the situation. He was acting odd the whole time, talking to us like we knew each other and stuff. He… he knew our names.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, he didn't know Ranboo’s, but that's not the point. At some point during the argument, Nightmare took off his mask, and Wil- Wil, it's Tommy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It might be, anyway,” Phil clarified, still talking as if he hadn't just made his son </span>
  <em>
    <span>forget how to breathe.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “We're not certain yet. Techno thinks it's a trap, and maybe he's right, but he looks so much like him, and he talks like him too. Ranboo is running a DNA analysis to make sure.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wilbur was already on his feet, out the door, keys in hand. He kept his phone pressed tightly between his ear and his shoulder as he fumbled to unlock his car. “Phil, that's impossible,” he said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Phil, please tell me it's possible,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought desperately.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Trust me, son, I know. I'm still trying to process it myself.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Put me on speaker,” Wil demanded. There was a brief pause as Phil complied. Now, the echoey sound of Ranboo’s chattering could be heard over the line.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Boys, it's Wil,” announced Phil. The chattering stopped, and a deep voice- Techno- grunted. He sounded upset. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are we looking at?” Wilbur asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fingerprints match, and the blood type is the same. I, er, we're waiting on the rest of the results. Should be any minute now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Um. Good, good. How- how is he?” Wilbur thanked whatever force was looking out for him that his engine started with no issues. L'manberg was a twenty minute drive from Pogtopia. He knew that if he broke a couple of laws, he could cut that time in half.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Physically, he's doing well. He's actually a lot less malnourished than before.” Phil's tone was a little sad, but pleased. Tommy’s health had been a major concern when he was first taken into the Craft family. Having grown up on the streets, the gangly boy had been stick-thin no matter how much food Phil put on his plate. “He's asleep at the moment. We… had to sedate him when we brought him in. He was pretty out of his mind.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wil’s grip on the steering wheel turned white knuckled. “How so?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He was screaming his lungs out, mate. Must've been pretty livid.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Or scared,” Ranboo added in a small voice. An uncomfortable silence shadowed the conversation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Wilbur broke the tension. “I'm on my way. Has the code to the cave changed since I left?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it's the same.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wil,” Techno spoke over their father, “I want you to hang up the phone while you drive. Focus on getting here safely.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, this is nonnegotiable. I refuse to be related to a nerd that got into an accident due to distracted driving.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wilbur chewed on his lip. Techno was right, he knew, as much as it pained him to admit it. “Alright. Talk to you guys soon.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Bye, son. Be careful.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just as Phil went to end the call, the beginning of a commotion on the other end of the line- a frantic shout from Ranboo- </span>
  <em>
    <span>“He’s awake!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The line went dead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, no, no no no!” Wilbur hit redial, but no one picked up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a twenty minute drive from Pogtopia to L'manberg.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wilbur pressed harder on the gas pedal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>o7o7o7o7o</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy didn't drift back into consciousness. One moment his eyes were closed, and the next they were open, and he was straining against the restraints keeping him tied down to the bed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He's awake!” </span>
  <em>
    <span>He doesn't recognize that voice. Danger.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?! Oh, sh-” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now, </span>
  </em>
  <span>that </span>
  <em>
    <span>voice he knew. Great.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don't understand; that sedative should have kept him under for at least another half hour!” </span>
  <em>
    <span>That voice, too. It was a regular family reunion. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy couldn't help it. He laughed. “Didn't account for the Pit, didya, Mr. The Blade?” he said mockingly. He lifted his head as much as he could and grinned at his older brother, not caring if he looked crazy. “Should've used a proper moose tranq.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Techno’s head snapped to face him so quickly, Tommy was surprised it didn't hurt his neck. His expression was stony, but his eyes were ablaze. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good, </span>
  </em>
  <span>thought Tommy. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That threw him off his game. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“What.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You heard me. Let me go, or I'll make you wish you had.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Tommy…” Phil approached the side of the bed with big, sad eyes. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pretty pissed off, big man, I'm not going to lie.” He yanked at the restraints again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you mean about the Pit, Tommy?” Now Techno was by the bed, too. His tone demanded an answer, but one could just as easily choose to ignore it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why'd you bring me back to the Cave? I thought I’d wake up in Arkham.” Phil winced. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you're… you're my son, we want to help you.” Tommy scoffed and turned away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the new kid fiddling with a computer. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nerd.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The Pit, Tommy! Answer me!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy gritted his teeth and jerked against the restraints, once, twice. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he could've sworn he heard something start to give. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Several things happened at once.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Phil shot forward and grabbed Tommy’s wrists.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A car pulled into Craft Manor at an alarming speed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The computer notified Ranboo that the analyses had been completed, and he read the results aloud:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“DNA test, 100% match for Tomathy Innit-Craft confirmed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy rolled his eyes. He was the only one in the room who seemed unfazed by the revelation. “Obviously. No one’s me except for me!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Phil teared up, his heart singing with joy. This was real. His son, his boy, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>baby</span>
  </em>
  <span> was alive.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Techno paled considerably. All color was gone from his face. His brother, the one he had failed, was back. It was time to face his mistakes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wilbur crashed into the cave with a crazed glint in his eye, cheeks still flushed from the chill of the wind, trembling with tension. His gaze locked onto his little brother in an instant.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And poor Ranboo was caught in the middle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just like that, all the scattered pieces of the Craft family were reunited after two long years of mourning: broken, yes, but whole.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DGDLAKFJGLKDFAGAJFLAKJ THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH for the response to this fic??? it's super validating and i love reading every single comment and bookmark ;u;</p>
<p>please send me any and all constructive criticism!! i can always do better with my writing and you folks are my measuring stick</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading and making it to the end!! i crave validation, so if you enjoyed please leave a kudo so i may receive a crumb of serotonin </p>
<p>also i welcome all feedback and constructive criticism!!!!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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